BMO Spend & Payment SolutionsTM Expands its Global Reach: Adds Eight New Countries to Growing Global Banking Alliance
TORONTO,
            July 29, 2008 –  BMO Spend & Payment Solutions,
            a leading North American provider of advanced commercial card solutions,
            today announced that it has further expanded its global banking partnerships,
            allowing customers to conduct business through Asia's United
            Overseas Bank and Europe's BCC Corporate NV. The agreements
            further expand BMO's international footprint and enable North
            American companies to conduct business more efficiently worldwide.
      United Overseas Bank, which became a BMO partner last year through its
        operations in Malaysia, has expanded this relationship to include its
        locations in Hong Kong, China; Singapore; Thailand; and Indonesia. BCC
        Corporate has partnered with BMO in the following countries: Belgium,
        The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and France.
      “We're always looking for opportunities to grow our global
        network, which makes it easier for our customers to do business around
        the world,'' said Terry Wellesley, Managing Director of BMO
        Spend & Payment Solutions. “We'll continue to seek these
        partnerships so that our customers have ready access to one of the strongest
        commercial card programs available in the industry.”
      BMO has been rapidly growing
          its global capabilities by developing alliances with leading institutions
          around the world. The alliances enable BMO
        to provide an unparalleled worldwide network with local support banks,
        making it possible to service corporate card accounts virtually anywhere.
        This allows BMO customers – among the leaders in today's
        global economy – to conduct business more efficiently worldwide.
      Through BMO detailsOnline�,
          its proprietary database for reporting, analysis and management, clients
          have the ability to review procurement
        and travel expenses by both individual country and a worldwide rollup
        in a single currency. The suite of global reports provides customers
        greater expense oversight, streamlined activities, and better cash flow
        for their business transactions at home and abroad.
        
“It's important for BCC Corporate to continue offering customers
          access to a worldwide commercial card network and expanded card offerings,” said
          Wouter Versonnen, Head of Sales at BCC Corporate NV. “BMO is
          the right fit for us as we service customers that need the best solutions
          to effectively manage their corporate transactions.”
      United Overseas Bank and BCC
          Corporate NV join several other financial institutions in India, Italy,
          China, Australia, Japan, France, United
        Kingdom, Scandinavia and Chile as partners in BMO's global commercial
        card network.
      About BMO
            Spend & Payment
          Solutions
  A division of BMO Financial Group, BMO Spend & Payment Solutions
        (formerly BMO ePurchasing Solutions) is a top 10 commercial card provider
        and a leading provider of spend and payment solutions in North America.
        BMO Spend & Payment Solutions' products are widely used by
        corporations, non-profit and government sector organizations to manage,
        control and gain better visibility into their commercial spending. 
      Through Harris N.A., a Midwest-based
          and wholly owned subsidiary of BMO Financial Group, BMO Spend & Payment
          Solutions offers a comprehensive range of financial products and services
          to U.S. public and private sector
        organizations. 
      About United Overseas Bank
        United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) is a leading bank in Singapore with
          a global network of over 500 branches/offices and subsidiaries/associates
          in 18 countries and territories in Asia-Pacific, Western Europe and
          North America. UOB offers an extensive range of commercial and personal
          financial services through its branches as well as through its subsidiaries
          and associate companies.
      About BCC Corporate NV 
        BCC Corporate focuses fully on credit cards and related services for
          companies to generate savings, increase control, and provide comfort
          for corporations. Four major Belgian banks -- Fortis, Dexia, ING and
          KBC -- hold stakes in BCC Corporate. In 2007, a turnover growth of
          25 percent was achieved with a 65 percent market share in Belgium.
          BCC Corporate provides extensive insurance and reporting packages linked
          to corporate cards and is much more flexible concerning the payment
          terms, payment methods and closing dates of the accounts. The corporate
          range consists of three products: corporate cards, related cards and
          travel key cards and are issued in most European countries in Eurozone.
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